Parachute belt



June 20,-1944. -G. DREYFUS' v351,938

PARACHUTE BELT Filed Feb. 28. 1941 im.: l.' 1.

parachuteand of the Patented June 20, 1944 PARAcnUTn BELT f Georges,x Dreyfus, Montauban, France; vestedin the AlienProperty. (instodian.y I

Application February 28, 194:1, SerialfNo. 381,155"

In France June 9, 1939 3 Claims. (Cl. zits-*151),

The present invention relates` to parachute belts or harnesses of the type adopted to permit of adapting to the parachutist the whole of the various elements associated' therewith.

The chief objectv of the: present invention is to provide a belt or harness of. this kind which is better adapted to meet the requirements of practice than those usedv foi` the same purpose up to the present time.

' According to a,l feature of the. present invention, which concerns adjustment devices to be provided in connection with the belt, and in particular the stra-p of' a parachute equipment as above mentioned, such a strapis arranged in suchmanners that the-movable end thereof is4 folded and bent double under themain portion of the strap and can be secured through means operable from the outside, in various adjustment positions.

Accordingv tov an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the securing means above mentioned consist of projections carried'by the folded portion` of the strap and extending outwardly'throughv holes provided'in the main portion ofthe same strap, said projections being held in position by spindles engaging therethrough and which can be easily operated.

According to another; feature of the present inventionn Which is more particularly intended for use in connection witha parachute belt, said belt includes, ontheoneuhand-aportion of xed length and on the, other hand',` aty least one strap superposed to said' first' part and of adjusted length, this.l strap cooperating` with the closing buckle of the belt.-

According to still another feature of the ,presentinvention in the case ofparachute belts p.roviuiedj with a.. buckle. such, as.. above men,- tioned, at least one-01% the elements of the buckle is mounted in a slidable manner to the belt or to an element, and especially a metallic element xed therewith.

Other features of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description of some specific embodiments thereof.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying'drawing. given merely by way of example, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the whole of a parachute bag and the belt thereof, this system being made according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding partial view in horizontal section. v o

Infthe following description', I WillV explain my invention-as applied to the case of an'` adjustable parachute belt" to be used'in connection with the parachute bag A. This parachute belt includes a' strap consisting of at least one strap element; the ends of' which are adapted' to lbe fixed,` for instance', tothe male and female portions of a buckle 3, capable of being closed and openedv in a very,l quick manner. Of course, the ends of the strap,1instead'of being directly fixed to the parts of the buckle', might be xed to elements rigidly assembled. with said parts.

According to the invention, in; order to permit of adjusting the length of the whole, one of the ends of said strap is folded inwardly,` so that said strap portion is applied under the visible portion of the strap and isy then vfixed in the desiredposition through a suitable means adapted toA be operated from the outside.

In the following description, it will be supposed that, according to still another feature of the invention, thebeltis made of two parts, to wit:

(a) A first part I of fixed length, which is attached permanently tothe Wall 2 of ybag A; this part I is tted, over at least a portion of its length and on the inner side thereof, with' cushioning means `3;,in the embodiment shown by the drawing, these cushioning lmeansare provided at the front part of thebelt; and

(Z7)- AV second part itselfjconstitutedfby at least one and preferably two strap elements 4 of adjustable length, extending over the outer side of part I.

The whole is forl instance arranged in such .manner that strap elements 4 vare iixed atlonje end to one ofthe elements 5 of buckle B, where they may be secured together withv the corresponding end of the part I"offixed length; These strap elements run along this part I, 'being suitably yassembled therewith, and are fixed at their other endr to the other element 6 of the buckle, with respect to which they are adjustable. 'The last mentioned end of strap elements 4 are freely mounted with respect to the corresponding end of part I.

'I'his part I is made of such a length that its ends can overlap each other.

The rear straps 4 preferably cross each other in such manner as to constitute at 'I a portion which is `very strong and preferably of reduced Width, so as to permit the passage and the fixation of the loop or other element to which the lower ends of the suspending ropes from the parachute are all attached.

The length of the rbelt is then adapted in each particular case, to the size of the parachutist,

owing to the possibility of suitably fixing the ends of the strap elements 4 which are attached to elements 6.

For this purpose and according to the arrangement above described, the ends 41 are folded inwardly and they are adiustably fixed to the outer portion 4,. e

Advantageously, these fixation means are of the type including projections provided with holes and a spindle adapted to engage in said holes.

More specifically, this fixation device includes; for instance, as shown by the drawing, the following elements:

(a) On the one a part 9 mounted at the end of portionli1 ofthe strap elements, these projections 8 being adapted to extend through holes l0 provided in the main portion of said strap element; and

(b) On the other hand, a spindle I I, constituted by` one 0f the branchespf. ,a hairrpinshaped. clasp, the other branch of which engages for instance in part .9 which is, correspondingly given the shape Oia tvbe- 1 Finally, he wholeis 1 by means lfor guiding buckle YB with respect tothe b elt. In the exampleshown by thedrawing, these means consist for instance of a small projection IZcarriedby elements and guided on a strip fof steel (or any other materiale)` `I3 fixed to the part l of the belt. 'I'he position of element Son said plate depends upon the desired adjustment.

Whatever be the particular embodiment that is chosen, I obtain a system, the working of f which hand projections 8 carried by length adapted to be worn on the parachutists body, a buckle including two elements separable from each other and an adjustable strap adapted to surround said band and permanently xed at one end to one of said buckle elements, including a portion adapted to be folded between said strap and they parachutistslbody, so, as.. to form a loop engaging'a part of the other buckle element, the portion of said strap that covers the folded portion thereof, being provided with a plurality of holes extending along. a line transverse to said strap, a plurality of corresponding projections, carried by the folded portion, adapted to engage in said holes, a tube carried by the end of said folded portion and a double spindle including two j branches, one .adapted to be engaged in said tube and the-other adapted to engage on said projecl tions on the outside of the outer portion of the advantageously completed :a

results sumciently clearly from the preceding exyplanations for making itunnecessaryto enter into further explanations.

This system'has over analogous j systemsused .for the same purposejup toj'lthe .presentjtime many advantages, the most important'of which Y are the following: y

Ieliminate any out projecting strap portion; the adjustment of the belt on'the parachutist is very easy,

The various pieces which are: brought into place for the adjustment of the beltv yare perfectly guided,

The whole of the belt is extremely strong and can be relied upon for 'standing' any stresses.

In a general manner, whilst I'have inthe above description disclosed what I deem'to be preferred embodiments of my invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish'to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the farrangement, disposition and form of the parts,

without departing from the principle of the pres'- L of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

ent invention, as comprehended within the scope 1. An adjustable belt for a parachute system i which comprises, in combination, ai band of xed strap for locking said projections in their holes.

2. An adjustable belt for a parachute system, which comprisesincombination a band of fxed lengthfadapted` to be worn-on the. parachutists body, af buckle including two 'elements separable from each other, a strap includingl at'A least two adjustable Strapelements, both adapted to'surround; said bandand each permanently xed at one end to oneiof said buckle elements, each strap element including a. portion adapted to be folded between said strap andsaid bandso as to form 4afloop engaging a part :ofthe-.other buckle element, the'portionof saidstrap element that covers the' folded portion thereof being provided with a plurality of holes arranged insuch manner that the corresponding holes of thev twoA respective strap elements are located along lines transverse to'said strap elements,- a projection carried by the .3.l In connection with la parachute4 system, a

strap wornabout the parachutists bodyand. ad.-

justableto the size'` thereof, which comprises'in ornbinationan end. portion` integral with said strap* andweadaptedl to be.folded between said strap and the,p arachutist"s body, the `portion of said fstrap that covers the folded-portion' thereof being provided `.with xsa, pluralityV of holes extending alonga line `rtransverse to lsaid strana plu'- rality. of,Vv corresponding projections, carried by the yfolded portionadapted `toengage in said holes', atube carried' bythe end of said folded portion and a double ,spindl`e including two branches, one adapted" tofbe engaged in saiddtube and the, other ',adaptedf to. engage in said'projections Vori' `tl"1e outside of the 4'outer portinif'ifV the strap Tfor lockingsaid projectionsin their holes.

. GEQRGES DREYFUS.' 

